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A year ago, General Motors filed for bankruptcy and installed a revolving door on the office of the CEO. Pontiac and Saturn are gone. Hummer is on its way to Chinese ownership. Saab remains in limbo and is likely to be liquidated soon.

A year ago, Nissan and Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said, “In tough times, you have to look at and adjust your product-development programs, but you can’t just stop. Because then, when things return to normal, you have nothing to come to market with. The one thing certain about the future is that people will continue to be driving cars.” People are in fact still driving, and GM is preparing to roll out some quite interesting, relevant, and well-developed products.

Among other things, it is working hard to fill in the blanks in Buick‘s lineup as it also prepares to launch the much-ballyhooed and all-important Chevrolet Volt. Here’s the skinny on the significant new products from The General that are just around the turn of a calendar’s page.

WHAT:2011 BUICK REGALWHEN:SUMMER 2010Opel’s Buick Takes on TSX
Saturn was to have been Opel’s North American outlet, but New GM is instead tweaking the multiple-award-winning Insignia into a Regal. Engineers insist they’re “tweaking,” not “reengineering” the car, with chassis alterations limited to accommodating North American all-season Michelin Pilot tires (Opels come with summer Bridgestone Potenzas). A choice of two direct-injected four-cylinder engines will be offered: 2.4-liter naturally aspirated (182 hp/172 lb-ft) or 2.0-liter turbocharged (220 hp/258 lb-ft), mated to a manual or automatic six-speed transmission. Indeed the Insignia and Regal setups felt quite similar on a recent drive of 2.0T variants. Neither is as plush as the LaCrosse. Both follow the contour of the road faithfully with a well-controlled ride that may strike the aging Buick faithful as busy (doesn’t bother Buick). Chassis impacts generate minimal noise, which improves the mental perception of ride quality. The Regal negotiates elbows and esses with minimal body roll and no squealing hysterics from the tires.

Sized about four inches longer and a bit wider and taller than its principle rival, the Acura TSX, the 3600-pound Regal still manages to project a light and nimble sensation from the cockpit that’s not unlike the 3450-pound TSX. And Buick is contemplating a GS variant (it showed the Regal GS Show Car at the 2010 Detroit show), borrowing fatter tires, lowered adjustable suspension, Haldex all-wheel drive with electronic limited-slip rear differential, and go-fast interior and exterior styling bits from the Insignia OPC model, but substituting a 255-horse/295-pound-foot version of the 2.0-liter turbo in place of the OPC’s 2.8-liter V-6 turbo. Impressive dynamics, appealing exterior styling, and an attractive and ergonomically astute cockpit may indeed help Buick turn some Acura heads.

WHAT: 2011 CADILLAC CTS/CTS-V COUPE

WHEN: SPRING 2010 (CTS), SUMMER 2010 (CTS-V)
When GM dropped the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept on everyone at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the response was a near-unanimous “Build it. And don’t forget the V.” Well, its now 2010 and the CTS and CTS-V Coupes are mere months away from arriving in dealer showrooms.

When it came to turning the concept in a production car, GM went with the “if its not broken, don’t fix it” approach and made minimal changes. Put pictures of the concept and production cars next to each other and only the eagle-eyes will spot the differences. The production car wears smaller wheels borrowed from the CTS sedan that don’t fill the wheel arches as much, but they don’t look like they don’t fit, either. In front, the lower fascia is unique to the coupe has been revised slightly from the concept with a less-prominent splitter, larger brake ducts and smaller fog lights.

As with most coupes, everything behind the A-pillar is unique from the sedan. It starts with fender vents that are toned down from the concept but differ in size and shape from those found on the sedan. The rocker panels are scaled back slightly from the concept, and aluminum-looking trim frames the side windows on the production car — a touch not found on the concept.

As for the CTS-V, it shares the sedan’s 113.4-in. wheelbase, but its rear track is about an inch wider. Cadillac says the Coupe’s sleek shape and slightly lower mass ensures “a similarly high level of performance.”

The requisite CTS-V bodywork dons the Coupe’s nose and tail. Additions include a larger grille that doubles air intake, says GM, a bulge in the hood that makes room for the supercharger, and a center-mounted exhaust with two outlets poking out the back.

WHAT: CADILLAC XTSWHEN: LATE 2011-EARLY 2012The long-awaited replacement for the aging DTS and STS sedans finally surfaced at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show in the form XTS Platinum Concept. Serving as something of a rolling showcase for the brand’s Art & Science design language, the large sedan is about an inch longer than an Escalade Platinum Hybrid plus 2.3-inches wider and 1.1-inches taller than the CTS.

Modeled after the Platinum philosophy, the XTS features hand cut-and-sewn interior. Dark materials adorn the steering wheel and overhead compartment, contrasting against the prominent light cream interior color. The dash is a harbinger of the future of in-car electronics for the Cadillac brand. Organic Light-Emitting Diode (O-LED) displays replace the traditional gauges and screens, while the deployable touch-screen navigation system supplants the majority of buttons and switches on the dash. The panels appear black until the car is started; a “dead front” design, as dubbed by the designers, that aims to give the dash a flowing appearance.

The exterior “is the antithesis of the conventional three-box sedan, suggesting the active evolution of Cadillac’s design language,” according to design director Clay Dean. It features a sweeping profile and angled beltline to suggest forward motion. Vertical lamps sit at all four corners, while the lights up front receive adaptive lighting that adjusts direction depending on the angle of the front wheels.

Under hood is a paring of General Motors’ direct-injected 3.6L V-6 and a plug-in hybrid system. The combination makes an estimated 350-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and can propel the XTS under electric power alone. When plugged into a power outlet, GM says the battery can recharge in about five hours. The engine routes power to all four 20-in wheels, which are wrapped in Bridgestone rubber. Widely believed to be underpinned by GM’s front drive-based Epsilon II platform, the XTS also features magnetic ride control, using shocks that are capable of adjusting damping in indiscernible amounts of time.

Hybrid powertrain aside, the XTS Platinum looks to be as much of a concept as the CTS Coupe Concept, so the production version shouldn’t be more than two years away, if not less, given that GM shouldn’t be going bankrupt again anytime soon.

WHAT: 2012 CHEVROLET AVEO
WHEN: EARLY 2011
For its entire existence, Chevrolet’s Korean-built Aveo subcompact has been criticized for its subpar design and execution. Well, it seems that the General’s finally decided to do something about that, giving the world a preview of the next-generation Aveo in the form of the Aveo RS show car at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

Chevrolet has made the new hatchback wider, longer, and more spacious that the one it will replace. For the show car, Chevy has gone all out with special design cues including big front fender flares, extra-large brake cooling ducts with pushed-out fog lights, and big air inlets trimmed in both brushed and polished aluminum.

Other elements are more likely to make it to the production car, including the exposed, aluminum-trimmed headlights and round taillights, elements Chevy says were inspired by motorcycles. Turn signals integrated into the mirrors, and rear door handles tucked into the C-pillars, are also likely to carry over to the production model. The chrome, center-exit exhaust tips, racy roof spoiler, and aluminum-trimmed, tinted tail lights are a bit less likely.

While some of these bits might not be found on the production car, they may be available as accessories. Chevy says it’s targeting younger buyers and enthusiasts and hopes to hook them with the kinds of personalization options that have been such a hit for small-car competitors Scion and Kia. For the show car, Chevy even crafted a special silver engine cover with aluminum accents flanked by wheel-colored honeycomb grilles, and blue-rimmed coolant and power steering caps. The company hasn’t said yet which, if any, of these show car items will actually be offered as factory or dealer upgrades.

Stirring the Pony PotAs we’ve prognosticated, the Camaro will likely get the LSA supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine sometime in mid to late 2011. Packing roughly 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque and weighing considerably less than Cadillac’s CTS-V, it should be capable of outsprinting the killer-Caddy. Figure a sub-four-second 0-to-60 and very low 12s in the quarter.

In spring 2011, look for the topless Camaro sporting a sleek one-touch soft top just in time for alfresco driving. It was delayed due to cash-flow and top-supplier issues, but all are ironed out now. No word yet on whether there will be a ragtop Z/28 variant, but don’t hold your breath. That kind of torque would likely wring the roofless chassis like a dishrag.

WHAT: 2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE

WHEN: FALL 2010
The 2011 Cruze, the North American version of which will be built at GM’s revamped Lordstown, Ohio, plant, is arguably as important to the General’s future success, if not more so, than Chevy’s electric vehicle savior and fellow L.A. show star — the 2011 Chevy Volt. GM is making no bones about the Cruze’s main mission. This is a car that must do what the outgoing Cobalt could not — seriously challenge the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic for compact car supremacy. The automaker says the Cruze will have the refinement, build quality and options necessary to do battle with the top dogs in the segment.

Chevy’s main selling point for the Cruze is GM’s new turbocharged Ecotec 1.4-liter, DOHC I-4 with variable valve timing. The 1.4-liter is tentatively rated at 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. GM has predictably been hyping the engine’s efficiency and its estimated 40 mpg highway, and unlike most turbos, the engine’s recommended fuel is regular unleaded. There will be a base engine, a 1.8-liter four estimated to output 136 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. During our drives of the European and Chinese versions of the Cruze, we were underwhelmed with the 1.8-liter, so the extra grunt of the turbo will no doubt be welcome.

Mated to the Cruze’s engines is a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions — gear shifters not normally found as standard equipment the compact class. In fact, Chevy is tacking on a lot of features to the Cruze in an effort to make it stand out from the compact crowd. GM’s StabiliTrak stability control is standard equipment, as are 10 air bags, electric power steering, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

Germany’s Opel was responsible for the basic platform that underpins the Cruze, GM’s new new-generation Delta architecture. Notable features include a high-rigidity shell and relatively sophisticated MacPherson front strut geometry outfitted with hydraulic bushes and aluminum lower arms. The compact’s torsion beam rear is augmented by a Watts Z-link design that GM says helps center the rear axle during cornering, which is said to improve the car’s overall handling by allowing the rear to better follow the front suspension’s inputs.

WHAT: 2012 CHEVROLET ORLANDOWHEN: MID-LATE 2011
Ostensibly a Delta-platform Cruze wagon, the Orlando will take on the Mazda5 microvan, offering three-row seating for seven. It may replace the HHR, and we hope it gets that trucklet’s engines, as the Cruze’s 1.4 turbo will likely be overwhelmed by this rig. Expect it in mid to late 2011.

The Orlando Concept, shown at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, was powered by 2.0L turbodiesel making 150-hp and 236 lb-ft. of torque, but GM is staying out of the diesel game in the U.S.

To make room for the extra passengers, the Cruze’s wheelbase has been stretched three inches and widened 1.6 inches in the front and 1.2 inches in the rear. The Orlando’s second-row seats have a 60-40 split while the third row seats have a 50-50 split. The backs of the seats have metal covers to protect them from the cargo. Both rows fold down for maximum cargo space. The Orlando’s dash features a hidden cubby just below the audio, navigation and climate controls for stashing your MP3 player while it’s plugged into the stereo.

At just 143.3 inches long in global trim (add an inch and a half for U.S.-spec bumpers) and comfortably under 1950 pounds, this all-new platform had to be carefully engineered to provide the right European NCAP safety result. And yet it isn’t impractically small: Four six-foot Americans can fit painlessly between its 97.6-inch wheelbase.

Inside, a simple motorcycle-type instrument pod sits atop the steering column. This idea was shown on the concept Beat. It uses a conventional speedometer, but everything else including a graphical tach and fuel gauge is taken care of by a simple mono LED screen. On the base model, where everything in the cabin is monotone gray, it has a depressing show-car-gone-wrong look. But in top-spec LT trim, where there are metallic accents and body-color trim garnishes, it takes on a cheery, individual, and modern aspect.

In the European example we drove, the 1.2-liter four-cylinder revs sweetly enough, and rev it you must if you need to pass a truck or get up to speed on an on-ramp. But there’s a difference between sweet and quiet: This is a noisy little car. Engine hum and tire roar battle to upstage each other depending on how coarse the road surface is or how hard you are on the throttle. Ah, well, the engineers promise a better NVH pack before the U.S. launch.

WHAT: CHEVROLET VOLTWHEN: NOVEMBER 2010

Offsetting the Z/28’s CAFE
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated American car of the new millennium, Chevy’s Volt remains on schedule for launch this November, and based on a recent drive in the nearly finished product, folks expecting something radically unusual are the only ones likely to be disappointed. The car does its gol-dangdest to behave like any other car on the road.

No wonky surging on acceleration or braking, no tapering off of available power as the plug-in battery pack is depleted, no rush of power when the range-extending gasoline engine fires up. Hybrid enthusiasts will appreciate the reconfigurable dash screen, which includes an efficiency gauge with a floating ball that rewards good driving behavior by glowing green and hovering in the middle of its little vertical range of travel.

Other curiosities: When pedestrians are present, pulling the turn-signal stalk activates a warning tone, and you’ll be able to control and monitor charging on your smart phone. Californians likely will pay around $32,500 after $7500 in tax rebates, and the EPA rating is bound to have three digits.

2011 GMC Acadia DenaliGMC will bring Denali bling, bells, and whistles to its crossover Acadia this fall after its debut at the 2010 Detroit show with a choice of either front- or all-wheel-drive, bearing the familiar drilled chrome grilles, Xenon headlamps, monochrome fascias and cladding, chrome accents and special 20-inch chromed wheels with black-chrome centers.

A more meaningful upgrade is fitment of most of the Enclave’s quiet tuning elements (extra mastic, triple seals, and acoustic windshield-the front door glass is not acoustic, as the Acadia’s windows are a different shape). Maximum towing capacity is a class-leading 5200 pounds. Expect the price jump to be less than the $15K leap from Yukon SLE to Denali.

The Acadia Denali will be available in front- and all-wheel drive, and seven- and eight-passenger configurations. The standard engine is GM’s ever-present 3.6L direct-injected V-6, and maximum towing capacity is 5200 lbs. The Acadia gets a suspension retune to compensate for larger diameter wheels and available all-wheel drive. The EPA’s fuel economy ratings don’t change: 17/24 mpg for the front-drive models, while all-wheel drive knocks 1 mpg off both ends.

Loft Apartment on Wheels
Behold what may come to be the smallest GMC ever. Conceived as an “Urban Utility Vehicle,” the GMC Granite Concept on display at the 2010 Detroit auto show is fully two feet shorter than the Terrain, it features a dramatically raked windshield and fat tires pushed to the absolute corners of the vehicle to maximize interior package space. Now that New GM’s down to just four brands, each of those brands is hoping to broaden its appeal and reach into segments that even the defunct brands weren’t reaching. This is one of those broader-reaching products. Its B-pillarless coach-style (don’t-call-’em-suicide) doors open onto a swanky suede-like Nubuck interior, with a front passenger seat that can be reclined flat, then folded up against the center console to make room for a bike. Wider and lower than Kia‘s Soul, Granite is meant to appear (and be) considerably pricier.

Young urban professional type designers (don’t call ’em Yuppies, as that’s too Baby-Boomerish) sculpted the exterior with industrial-design and commercial-chic themes. We don’t exactly know what that means either, but repeating it makes one seem savvy, and we’re reliably informed that its “series of complex, intersecting planes and angles, create the impression of an industrial machine — an object created out of necessity, but admired for its precision and functional aesthetics.” Alrighty then. Naturally there’s no chrome (just brushed metal finishes) and the footwear is low-profile rubber on honkin’ 20s, bulging from exaggerated wheel arches.

These kids fancy themselves as social and active, more likely to take friends clubbing and lug outdoor gear on weekend jaunts than to schlep lumber or tow a boat. With those requirements in mind, they sketched a vehicle with rather unique dimensions. At 161.3 inches long, by 70.3 inches wide by 60.5 inches tall, it’s too wide, squat and short in length to be a minivan; too short in the nose and close to the ground to be an SUV. Inside, the controls interface is totally PDA inspired, as kids these days are losing their patience with buttons. Professional-grade gear selection is via a rotary knob that turns with the precise clicks of a torque wrench. There’s even a big floating compass incorporated in the barrel speedometer so nobody ever gets lost.

The suggested powertrain in this concept is GM’s 1.4-liter turbo mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. At this point it is still just a concept, and we suspect those “carriage doors” are not likely to survive, but design director Dave Lyon assures us that “A pathway to production has been identified,” meaning a platform has been chosen and drivetrain compatibility as been confirmed, but the program has yet to receive the green light.